Jack Milner
The SA Triple Crown and Wilgerbosdrift Triple Tiara for three-year-olds top the headlines once again when the second leg of the event will take place at Turffontein on Saturday.
The TAB SA Classic and Wilgerbosdrift SA Fillies Classic, both Grade 1 races over 1800m on the Standside track, is undoubtedly the pivotal leg of the three-race event as both winners of the TAB Gauteng Guineas and Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas will be back in action on Saturday in an attempt to keep the flag flying.
The key issue is that both Sandringham Summit and Gimme A Nother could not have been more impressive in their respective victories and they will be strong favourites to repeat their successes in the second leg.
The third leg is the Grade 1 TAB SA Derby and the Grade 2 Wilgerbosdrift SA Oaks, both over 2450m, and they are usually the toughest to win.
Both will face similar opposition to the group that challenged them in the Guineas and Fillies Guineas with Mike de Kock having Fillies Guineas runner-up Silver Sanctuary and Champagne Cocktail joining unbeaten Gimme A Nother.
The runners who finished from second to seventh spot behind Sandringham Summit are all there again but the horse who is likely to attract some attention is Barbaresco, who did not contest the Guineas, but is in top form and will have his supporters.
The other Grade 1 feature is the Wilgerbosdrift HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes over 1600m and this has attracted an outstanding field.
It is headed up by Equus Horse-Of-The-Year Princess Calla and includes Hollywoodbets Durban July winner Winchester Mansion, Puerto Manzano, top three-year-old Main Defender, Cousin Casey and three runners from the Western Cape – Cosmic Highway (Dean Kannemeyer), Sugar Mountain (Candice Bass-Robinson) and At My Command (Brett Crawford).
Bass-Robinson won this race last year with Trip Of Fortune but could find it tough to repeat it this time against the quality of these runners.
Final field for the R1.5-million Wilgerbosdrift HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes (Grade 1) over 1600m.
1 - 4 AT MY COMMAND (B Crawford) L Mxothwa 60.0 - 126
2 - 1 PUERTO MANZANO (J J van Vuuren) G Lerena 60.0 - 125
3 - 14 COUSIN CASEY (S G Tarry) G van Niekerk 60.0 - 123
4 - 10 DAVE THE KING (M F De Kock) P Strydom 60.0 - 122
5 - 8 WINCHESTER MANSION (B Crawford) K Matsunyane 60.0 - 121
6 - 11 COSMIC HIGHWAY (D Kannemeyer) C Zackey 60.0 - 121
7 - 7 MELECH (R R Magner) M Yeni 60.0 - 117
8 - 13 MK'S PRIDE (A P Peter) C Maujean 60.0 - 116
9 - 3 SAFE PASSAGE (M F De Kock) J P v'd Merwe 60.0 - 116
10 - 6 SON OF RAJ (W H Marwing) S Khumalo 60.0 - 115
11 - 2 SUGAR MOUNTAIN (C Bass-Robinson) A Domeyer 60.0 - 115
12 - 12 BACK IN BUSINESS (J A Soma) P Mxoli 60.0 - 90
13 - 5 PRINCESS CALLA (S G Tarry) R Fourie 57.5 - 127
14 - 9 MAIN DEFENDER (A P Peter) C Habib 57.0 - 121
Same Trainer: (1,5) (3,13) (4,9) (8,14)
Final field for the R1.5-million TAB SA Classic (Grade 1) over 1800m.
1 - 10 SANDRINGHAM SUMMIT (D Nieuwenhuizen) G Lerena 60.0 - 123
2 - 7 HOTARUBI (S G Tarry) S Khumalo 60.0 - 116
3 - 5 WILLIAM IRON ARM (A P Peter) C Habib 60.0 - 116
4 - 1 PURPLE PITCHER (R Klaasen) K Matsunyane 60.0 - 114
5 - 6 GIMMEANOTHERCHANCE (M F De Kock) C Zackey 60.0 - 111
6 - 9 GUY GIBSON (R R Magner) P Strydom 60.0 - 105
7 - 2 PURE PREDATOR (F Bronkhorst) D Schwarz 60.0 - 104
8 - 4 STORM BRASCO (S G Tarry) R Fourie 60.0 - 104
9 - 8 NAVAJO NATION (R A Hill) S Moodley 60.0 - 103
10 - 11 BARBARESCO (J J van Vuuren) R Munger 60.0 - 102
11 - 3 MONDIAL (M/A Azzie) M Yeni 60.0 - 100
Same Trainer: (2,8)
Final field for the R1.25-million Wilgerbosdrift SA Fillies Classic (Grade 1) over 1800m
1 - 7 GIMME A NOTHER (M F De Kock) J P v'd Merwe 60.0 - 121
2 - 8 SILVER SANCTUARY (M F De Kock) R Fourie 60.0 - 116
3 - 1 MY SOUL MATE (C Dawson) P Strydom 60.0 - 115
4 - 4 BAVARIAN BEAUTY (A P Peter) C Habib 60.0 - 112
5 - 6 LET'S GO NOW (S G Tarry) S Khumalo 60.0 - 111
6 - 5 EGYPTIAN MAU (M N Houdalakis) C Zackey 60.0 - 110
7 - 2 CHAMPAGNE COCKTAIL (M F De Kock) G Lerena 60.0 - 104
8 - 3 BEATING WINGS (S T Pettigrew) D Schwarz 60.0 - 91
9 - 9 TAMIL TIGRESS (L Karriem) R Munger 60.0 - 87
Same Trainer: (1,2,7)